Embers Will Always Fall
by SlytherinTimeLordHasImpala
Summary: Many moons have passed, Firestar and the Power of Three have become nothing but elder stories. The Four Original Clans still stand but they have all fallen on hardships. Less warriors, sickness, little fresh-kill, cold weather. Everything seems to be in their odds. Follow the lives of various cats and how their lives are affected. Rated T for blood, violence and dark themes.
1. Prologue

A beautiful she-cat sat in silence as she gazed at her reflection in a puddle. The night sky stretched for miles above her and Silverpet shined down. Behind her, was the entrance to her home. Her clanmates were now asleep, resting after a long day hard work. She could smell leaf-bare in the air. Pawsteps gently padded up beside her.

"Adderstar." The red tabby tom said softly.

"Robintail. What is it?" She asked eyeing her deputy.

"I just came back from our night patrol. Not even the frogs are croaking." Robintail replied.

"Good. The more quiet it is the more at peace I can be." She muttered.

"I don't understand what these night patrols are about, Adderstar." Robintail said gently.

"Extra caution. Times have been hard lately. So much blood has been shed lately. It seems that every other day we are getting in some kind of border skirmish and pray has been little even in new-leaf and now leaf-bare is approaching? Sometimes I wonder if Starclan is punishing me." Adderstar said, her voice catching.

"Why would Starclan be punishing you?" Robintail asked softly.

"The things I have done, Robintail. I should have known it would have caught up to me. But, now my clan is paying the price. You know, I did everything I could to become leader. I so desperately wanted to help my clan. I went at it the wrong way though." Adderstar said glancing back at her reflection.

"We have all done bad things, Adderstar. I don't think Starclan punishes us for every single one of them." Robintail said with a sigh.

"The Gathering is tomorrow." Adderstar said, changing the subject.

Robintail nodded, his amber eyes narrowed at her. "Have you thought on who to bring with you?"

She shook her head. "No. I'll let you decide. I want your opinion, Robintail, should I confront Thunderclan tomorrow?"  
"Do you want Starclan angry at us?" Robintail asked, surprised.

"They already are."

She got to her feet and stalked away from the puddle and went back into the camp entrance. Robintaill watched after her with a sad expression. Was she right? Was Starclan really angry with them?


	2. AllegiancesChapter 1

**Thunderclan:**

 **Leader: Badgerstar, black tom with white spot on forehead, amber eyes.**

 **Deputy: Skyleap, light gray she-cat, brown eyes**

 **Medicine Cat: Russetear, nervous brown tom**

 **Warriors:**

 **Cloudstorm, white and gray queen**

 **Yellowlight, tan tom with yellow eyes**

 **Pantherfoot, black tom, blue eyes**

 **Briarthorn, black and brown tom.**

 **Shadowgaze - black she-cat, gray eyes**

 **Apprentices:**

 **Eaglepaw, white tom with golden specks of fur**

 **Waterpaw dark gray almost black she-cat**

 **Queens:**

 **Orangetongue- ginger she-cat expecting Badgerstar's kit.**

 **Elders:**

 **Foxeye, reddish brown tom**

 **Rainfur gray and white she cat**

 **Shadowclan:**

 **Leader: Adderstar, brown she-cat with dark brown stripes and yellow eyes**

 **Deputy: Robintail, dark red tabby, amber eyes**

 **Medicine Cat: Duskfall, black tom with tuff of white fur on chest and two white paws, green eyes.**

 **Warriors:**

 **Liontooth, white tom with amber eyes**

 **Grassclaw, lean brown tom**

 **Finchcry, tabby she-cat**

 **Brokenwing, black she-cat, one green eye, one yellow eye.**

 **Kestrelheart, senior warrior, brown and black pelt.(she-cat)**

 **Rainglaze, gray she-cat with dark eyes.**

 **Applefur, red brown she-cat with green eyes.**

 **Rabbitstreak, fluffy gray tan tom.**

 **Wolfclaw - white and gray tom with ice blue eyes**

 **Lonescar - black tom, amber eyes, left ear torn and scars across his nose**

 **Apprentices:**

 **Lilypaw white and black she-cat**

 **Snakepaw dark brown tom**

 **Sunpaw light brown she-cat with yellow eyes**

 **Silentpaw - white she-cat with black paws and a black tip on her ears and tail, green eyes**

 **Queens:**

 **Windpelt, yellow and white queen with green eyes. Kits: Lichenkit, Blossomkit.**

 **Flowernose, pretty sorrel queen. Kits: Nightkit, Brownkit, Gingerkit.**

 **Elders:**

 **Spiderstep, gray tom**

 **Dewdrop white and brown she-cat**

 **Foresteyes, brown she-cat and green eyes**

 **Riverclan:**  
 **Leader: Fallenstar. -brown tom with black toes on left paw, yellow eyes**

 **Deputy: Swallowleap, small gray she-cat with brown eyes**

 **Medicine Cat: Snowtail, beautiful white she cat, green eyes, is missing front right leg.**

 **Warriors:**

 **Dustear, red tom with specks of gray and red, blue eyes.**

 **Wildheart, orange tabby she-cat, green eyes.**

 **Fireglare, orange tom, brown eyes.**

 **Shallowcreek, black and white tom.**

 **Streamfoot, black and gray she-cat.**

 **Meadowfur, brown and black she-cat.**

 **Apprentices:**

 **Sharppaw gray and black tom with specks of white in fur**

 **Icepaw white tabby tom**

 **Lightpaw brown she-cat with white tips on ears**

 **Queens:**

 **Branchpelt, dark brown queen: expecting kits.**

 **Elders:**

 **Striketail, blind white tom**

 **Windclan:**

 **Leader: Sweetstar - small, light red she-cat with amber eyes**

 **Deputy: Honeyspots, small light brown with tan spots she-cat**

 **Medicine Cat: Mosspetal, Light brown she-scat with white underbelly.**

 **Warriors:**

 **Alderpounce, lean black tom.**

 **Tinysoar, small gray she-cat**

 **Eveningrunner, big, lean brown she-cat.**

 **Cloudstep.- gray and white she-cat, brown eyes.**

 **Amberfang- light brown tom.**

 **Apprentices:**

 **Fernpaw, dark gray she-cat**

 **Duckpaw dark tabby tom**

 **Queens:**

 **Dewleaf, dapple she-cat expecting Alderpounce's kits.**

 **Elders:**

 **Beaverbelly, brown and white she-cat**

 **Cats outside the clans:**

 **Leafsong- brown and white she- cat, green eyes , formally Shadowclan.**

 **Leo- dark gray tom, scars on shoulder, golden eyes. Rouge, former kittypet.**

 **Whisper, a shy white kittypet.**

 **Hank, big bobtailed tom, a barn cat who lives near the twolegs.**

 **Elan, a black rouge with blue eyes.**

* * *

"Cloudstorm, Waterpaw, Briarthorn, Eaglepaw, Yellowloght, Pantherfoot, and Shadowgaze. You are coming to the gathering tonight."

Shadowgaze glanced up at Badgerstar in surprise. Was she on his good side now? She hadn't gone to a gathering for moons! Badgerstar leaped off the ledge that led to his den and walked through the gaggle of cats that had gathered around the base of it. Shadowgaze took notice of the glare he gave her but she also took noticed of his weak, skinny frame. In fact, all her clanmates looked half starved anymore.

It seemed that every time a hunting party came back, they each had only been able to bring back a single shrew or a mouse. She took a glance at the fresh-kill pile, there was only a couple of mice and one frail robin. Her heart dropped, she knew that Badgerstar had been skipping meals and so had Russetear, the medicine cat. They were trying to make sure there was enough food for the clan.

"Are you coming, Shadowgaze?"

Shadowgaze jumped, startled. She looked up and saw Briarthorn looking at her worried. She nodded and offered a shy look. The rest of the party was now out of sight. He chuckled and said.

"Come on, they can't be far. Also, Badgerstar will probably yell at me for leaving Eaglepaw unsupervised." Briarthorn said with humor in his eyes.

They took off running towards their clanmates, they caught up to them before anyone noticed that had been missing. Slowing down, they walked side by side.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Shadowgaze, but I'm surprised Badgerstar let you come to the gathering. I thought he would have had you stay in the camp till you were an elder!" Briarthorn whispered.

"So did I." Shadowgaze said softly.

"It wasn't your fault, Shadowgaze. Maybe he has finally understood that." Briarthorn replied glancing at her.

"I don't think he has forgiven me. He probably never will. But, maybe he is willing to give me a chance, and for that I'm grateful." Shadowgaze said casting a look at Badgerstar's retreating form.

"You want a chance to prove yourself don't you?" Briarthorn said sadly.

"I want him to know…that…" She trialed off as the came down into the Gathering clearing.

"That you are still loyal to your clan." Briarthorn finished for her.

She nodded. "I may be a terrible cat but I still am a good warrior." Shadowgaze said sternly.

"You're not a terrible cat, Shadowgaze. I think you are quite nice." He said softly.

Shadowgaze stared at him for a brief second then licked his ear. "Thanks, Briarthorn. You are a really great friend." She said gently.

"Well, I better go look for Eaglepaw before he goes and tells some Shadowclan 'paw how to get to Thunderclan!" Briarthorn said before bounding off.

"Shadowgaze! Is that you!?"

Shadowgaze turned around and purred when she saw her Riverclan friend, Wildheart. Wildheart was a sleek, orange tabby she-cat. Her name suited her well, as she was overly energetic and had a rather quick temper.

"How are you? I haven't seen you in moons!" Wildheart exclaimed.

"I haven't been chosen for a Gathering in a while." Shadowgaze said bowing her head.

"Like for at last six moons! What did you do? Drown a kit in a river?" Wildheart asked, her green eyes wide.

"Not exactly. I just got on the wrong side of Badgerstar is all." Shadowgaze said, not meeting Wildheart's eyes.

"You know I won't tell anyone in my clan." Wildheart said gently.

"Wildheart, I don't want to talk about it." Shadowgaze said softly.

The Riverclan cat was about to retort when Sweetstar from Windclan let out a yowl. "Welcome all Clans! Windclan is doing well, Dewleaf is expecting kits." She said before quickly going to sit down.

Fallenstar from Riverclan stood up, Shadowgaze nearly gasped he looked so frail and old. She knew he couldn't be old as he had only become the Riverclan leader two moons again!

"Riverclan is strong. We welcome Lightpaw, Icepaw, and Sharpaw as new apprentices." All the clans joined in cheering the new apprentices names, Fallenstar waved his tail to silence them.

"I would also like to ask Shadowclan a question. Adderstar, I am not trying to accuse you of anything, but one of my patrols caught your scent a paw step over our border. Perhaps curious 'paws?" He asked, gently.

Shadowgaze glanced at some of the Shadowclan apprentices who thankfully looked more angry then guilty. Adderstar stood up, she was still breathtakingly beautiful despite being the oldest leader of the four clans.

"Shadowclan has a perfectly reasonable answer for that, Fallenstar. We recently banished a clanmate. She still may have our scent. If you see her, I suggest chasing her away or keeping your distance. She is dangerous." Adderstar said evenly.

Fallenstar gracefully bowed his head in acceptance then backed away letting Adderstar report for Shadowclan. "I will admit, my clan is in need of fresh-kill. But, I suspect that all the clans are. As you heard, we recently banished one of our warriors, Leafsong. Other then that, we welcome Silentpaw as our new apprentice. We have also smelled Thunderclan scent within our borders. I hope you have a reason, Badgerstar." With that she went and sat back down.

Once the cries of Silentpaw's name did down Badgerstar stood and cleared his throat. "Thunderclan is ready and willing to apologize for any scent crossing into borders. Prey is very scarce in our territory, if our warriors have chased something into another territory, they did not kill it. One of our queens is expecting." Badgerstar leaped from the High Rock and stalked towards the exit.

Shadowgaze said a quick goodbye to Wildheart and followed after her clan. Badgerstar hadn't even let Adderstar reply and he hadn't told them that it was his mate that was expecting. It made sense though, he didn't need a fight and of course he would be overprotective of his mate and new kittens. A twang of pain hit her, it had been her fault, but why all the sudden did he trust her?


	3. Chapter 2

The winds were harsh this high up on the plains. The mornings were cruel, the days bearable and the nights you could hear the cries of discomfort. Thankfully, it was a nice day, the winds were not so active and the sun was shining bright. Windclan was up and doing their duties. The warriors hunted and patrolled, the apprentices helped and trained, the deputy was giving orders, Sweetstar was in her den, and Mosspetal, the medicine cat was with her.

Sweetstar had always been a small, thin cat but she seemed even more small and thin curled up in her nest. It was strange to see Sweetstar in a nest, she often slept out in the open with her clan. The sickness was bad in Windclan. It was something that Mosspetal had never seen before. The sickness was not noticeable by any imediate physical aspects but they had lost clanmates to this sickness.

"You should drink some water, Sweetstar." Mosspetal said softly.

Sweetstar sighed and took a small sip of the water soaked moss. "What did you think of the Gathering last night?" She asked quietly.

"Fallenstar did not look well. And he, such a young leader." Mosspetal said softly.

"Yes, he did look rather ill…." Sweetstar said, her amber eyes staring down at her paws.

"Badgerstar and Adderstar were at it again. Always accusing someone of being on their territory or eating their prey. It gets tiresome." Mosspetal said, a bit huffily.

"Times are hard. Everyone is paranoid." Sweetstar replied.

A moment of silence passed between the two she-cats. Sweetstar glanced up at the medicine cat and softly said. "Have you heard from Starclan?"

"Yes. No. I…" Mosspetal looked away from Sweetstar's searching gaze.

"What? What is it?" Sweetstar demanded.

"Whether it was a cat from the stars or the shadows I don't know. But whoever they were, they told me this. 'If you place your trust in me, I may save the clans'." Mosspetal said, sounding defeated.

"That doesn't sound much like a prophecy." Sweetstar said gently.

"No, that is why I think it might be a cat from the Dark Forest. It may be wise to ignore them." Mosspetal said.

Sweetstar nodded, she seemed distracted by something. Mosspetal sighed and said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Hm? No, there isn't. I was just thinking about someone…." Sweetstar said.

"May I ask who?" Mosspetal asked.

Sweetstar just looked at her sadly. At that moment, Silentstorm, Mosspetal's apprentice came rushing in. The gray tabby she-cat looked very worried, her eyes were darting everywhere. Mosspetal glared at her.

"Silentstorm! What is the meaning of this?" She snarled.

"One of the elders, I went in..and….they are dead… It's the sickness." Silentstorm whispered.

Sweetstar got to her feet. "Come, we must tell the clan and let them mourn." She said.

Mosspetal watched her leader walk through the entrance. She swirled around to Silentstorm. "I want you to help them bury the elder. When they all go back to bed, come get me and show me exactly where."

"What?" Silentstorm asked, cocking her head slightly.

Her mentor let out an agitated sigh. "What I'm asking you to do is highly against the Warrior Code, I understand if you won't do it and tell Sweetstar but it is very important."

"What are you going to do, Mosspetal?" Silentstorm asked.

"We are going to dig up that body and examine it. I want to know what is killing off our clanmates." Mosspetal said quietly.

"You want us to dig up the body of an elder and pull it apart to find what killed it." Silentstorm summed up.

"I understand if you are against it." Mosspetal began but Silentstorm stopped her with the flick of a tail.

"No, no. I think it is a good idea. But, Sweetstar and the rest of the clan will be furious if they ever find out." Silentstorm said.

"Yes…What do you have in mind? You have your 'I have a great idea' look about you." Mosspetal said, eyeing her student.

"Everyone knows that Honeyspots is dying to know what is going on with the sickness. If we bring her into this she can act as a guard for tonight and a cover-up if anyone gets suspicious." Silentstorm explained.

"What am I covering up?"

The two she-cats spun around and saw that Honeyspots was standing there looking rather confused and worried. "You guys are not planning to kill someone are you?" She cried.

"What? No, hush up! We need your help in discovering what is killing off our clanmates." Mosspetal said irritated.

Honeyspots ears perked up at that. "Oh! Good! What do you have in mind?" She asked, excitedly.

"Examining the body of the dead elder. We need you to stand guard while we work. If anyone starts asking questions you cover us. Everyone listens to the deputy after all." Mosspetal said.

"This is wrong and tricky. But, I agree. Something has to be done about this sickness! Our clan is growing smaller and smaller each moon. You guys come get me when you go to look at the body. I'll do all I can to help." Honeyspots said.

The three she-cats nodded at each other then went to go join the mourning.

*time skip*

It was a full moon that night, three she-cats were at the burial place quickly working to dig the body of the elder up. Mosspetal dropped her bunch of herbs and bowed her head, praying to Starclan for forgiveness and understanding of her actions.

"Poor Beaverbelly." Honeyspots whispered.

"Let's get to work." Mosspetal said.

"Remember, we need to be careful. If this can be spread by contact, that is." Silentstorm said.

Mosspetal nodded. She covered her front paws with spider webs and began to examine the body of Beaverbelly. Her paws passed over the thin frame of the elder and stopped.

"We are naturally thin and lean. But, I can feel all of her bones. Her coat is a mess which I know is wrong because she took great pride in keeping herself looking well. Maybe this is signs of the sickness." Mosspetal said, sounding worried.

Mosspetal opened Beaverbelly's mouth and grimaced. She quickly pulled her paw away and shook her head.

"What is it?" Silentstorm asked.

"Her gums and mouth were inflamed. Did you find anything?" Mosspetal asked.

Silentstorm nodded. "Her eyes looked a bit off and there was some kind of discharge. There was also a tick bite on one of her legs that seemed to never have healed. I don't really know what this is."

"We should cover the body back up and wash our paws in a puddle. Not stream. We will also eat some herbs after dealing with this. We can discuss this in the morning." Mosspetal instructed.

After the three of them had washed their paws, gotten rid of the spider webs, and ate the herbs they were sitting in Mosspetal's den.

"I'm scared." Honeyspots whispered.

"So am I." Mosspetal said gently. "So am I."


End file.
